Asleep The Snow Came Falling
by Katherine75
Summary: Modern AU. John Bates, an eclectic Artist and Dr. Anna Bates, a controlling surgeon meet on Christmas Eve while waiting for news about loved ones in the hospital. They are quickly captivated by one another's kindness and caring ways, but will their polar opposite lives prove to be too much chaos for a chance at real love?
1. Chapter 1

Anna wandered through the empty echoing halls in search of coffee. Not only was she exhausted but also she was shivering, as the waiting room had grown quite cold now that a blistering windstorm had blown in suddenly.

Being Christmas Eve, she eventually gave up on finding coffee, as most everything had already closed for the holiday. Instead, Anna started following after the faint sound of a piano being played from somewhere in the hospital. She continued toward the melody and soon discovered an open atrium near the main entrance, festively decorated with Christmas trees and a blazing fire place. Near it she also found a man sitting at a baby grand piano, tinkering out the familiar song _White Christmas_.

Anna paused to listen for a moment, almost forgetting where she had spent the last twenty-four hours, and when he paused from playing she spoke softly, "I think you'll get your wish." He lifted his head quickly, clearly startled by her voice.

Anna gave him a soft comforting look, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you. It sounded nice is all."

His eyes were red and tired, and his face clearly distraught. Yet, Anna saw past all that to see a very handsome man. His dark hair low and messy above his brow, a five o'clock shadow darkening his chin. He wore the remains of a black suit, a blue and red plaid tie hanging open around his neck and cuff links decorating his wrists. But Anna also noticed bloodstains on the tip of one shirtsleeve and spots of blood down the front of his white shirt as he turned around on the piano bench toward her.

"I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?" He asked politely. "I didn't think anyone else was in this corridor. The emergency room is thankfully rather quiet tonight."

"Except for us." Anna quirked her eyebrows up at him then noticed his paper cup sitting near the piano. "Is that by chance coffee?" She asked pointing at his cup.

He stared at her for a moment, drinking in her appearance. Seeing beyond her frail stature, her tired and weary eyes, she was dressed in a champagne evening gown, her hair still glamorous despite the many hours pacing the hallways that day. She carried her heels in one hand as he noticed she stood there in her stocking feet. "It is coffee…I know a secret place where you can find some if you're interested."

"I'm more than interested. I'm afraid if I don't get some coffee in me soon, I'll fall asleep standing up."

He smiled back at her, only out of one corner of his mouth. "Well we can't have that, now can we?"

Anna felt an odd familiarity as his kind green eyes met hers again. He stood slowly from the bench and opened his hand toward her. "I'm John Bates."

She met his fingers with her own and as his large hand embraced her tiny one, she felt a sudden calmness surround her. She was no longer alone, and that brought her a moment of peace at the end of a very long day. "Hello. My name is Anna Smith."

"Well if its coffee you need, you'd best follow me." He led her down the hall from where she has just came, and after turning a corner pointed toward an open staircase. "You might want to put your shoes back on. I'm afraid the floor in the café is a bit sticky."

"Really? That's not the usual standard of cleanliness for a hospital."

"There were some unattended children playing with sugar and water earlier today, after the cleaning crew had left for the holiday of course."

"Thank you for the warning Mr. Bates." She placed her left hand on the railing for balance and John glanced a look to notice her ring finger was bare. As she bent down to place one shoe on her foot, John felt enamored by the way long blonde locks of hair fell forward into her face.

Once her shoes were properly on her aching feet, they walked side-by-side down the stairs and toward a dark café. As they neared the bottom steps Anna lost her footing and started to fall forward before John quickly reacted and caught her. "Are you alright?" John caught his breath as she fell into him.

Anna's face flushed with embarrassment. "Excuse me – I'm so sorry about that. I'm just so tired."

He looked at her with deep concern, "Perhaps, you should hold onto my arm for support then."

She took a deep breath, " If you don't mind, I think I will," and slid her arm through his as they continued down the stairs together. Once reaching the bottom, John gave her arm a squeeze softly so she would stop. "Wait here one moment." He reached into his pant's pocket and pulled out his smart phone. Swiping at it a few times, he turned on the flashlight and lit the way for them to safely enter the café.

"Here's the easy brew machine, or if you'd prefer, I can whip you up something at the espresso bar over there."

"Espresso? Really? I'd love one."

"How does a latte sound then?"

"Right now, it sounds like a little piece of heaven."

John smiled at her gratitude and happily went about making her latte. Anna watched him with curious eyes as he opened the storage cooler, poured milk into a stainless steel pitcher and began steaming it under the machine's wand. He searched for a couple of large cups and winked back at her when he found two big Christmas themed mugs. When he was finished, he carefully handed Anna one of the mugs and then held his up toward her to wish her cheers. "I suppose being here isn't exactly a Merry Christmas for either of us, but I'd like to wish you one all the same."

"Thank you. Thank you very much Mr. Bates."

"You're welcome… And please, call me John."

Anna took a long sip from the mug and sighed with heavy relief. "Seriously. You don't know how much your kindness means to me. Thank you."

"It was no trouble," He assured her.

"This is very good, I just realized I haven't eaten anything today."

"Would you like some food as well? I can jump the counter and grab you something. I'm afraid the only thing available are pastries though."

Anna looked at him with interest, "How is it you know all this Mr. Bates?"

"I'm afraid I spend a lot of time here. Too much time in fact. This is my mother's 7th stay here in the hospital this year."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. That sounds serious."

"It is…." John hesitated, although Anna sensed he wanted to say more, yet he didn't.

"Well, she is very lucky to have you. If you care for her as well as you've taken care of me this evening, then she is very lucky indeed."

"I hope so. It doesn't always seem like doctors know how to actually care for people, sometimes I get so frustrated with how they talk about her like she isn't even in the room."

Anna wasn't at all shocked by John's comment; she agreed many of her colleagues had terrible people skills. "Yes…bed-side manner isn't exactly a top priority in medical school."

John looked at her with soft admiration. "May I ask you Anna…why are you here this Christmas Eve?"

"Well, as it turns out, I was visiting London for an awards ceremony when my friend Elsie became very ill. I rushed her here and she's in surgery at the moment."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do they know what's wrong with her?"

"No, not yet. The surgery is exploratory, she had severe pain in her abdomen…and well, they weren't able to conclude anything without going in I'm afraid."

"That sounds rather troubling….and are you here alone then?"

"I am now. There were others, but seeing as it's so late on Christmas Eve, I sent everyone else home to be with their families."

"That was very selfless of you…and what of _your_ family?"

Anna's thoughts seemed very distant for a moment before she looked back at him and smiled. "Oh…I'm afraid I'm all the family I have."

"How can that be? No family to speak of?"

"I was an only child and my parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was very little. Elsie actually raised me…so she's more like a mother to me than a friend."

"I see…" He looked at her with such compassion, it nearly overwhelmed her.

She blinked back some tears. "Yes, well…what about you John? Are you alone sitting bedside with your mother? Any siblings to speak of?"

"It would seem you and I have something in common Anna…I too am an only child and my father passed several years ago."

She smiled at him knowingly, that was an uncommon trait to have. "Merry Christmas to you John….is there…is there anything I can do for you?"

John was touched by her kindness. "I must say, I appreciate the company. Mother is sleeping finally and I won't leave tonight. Would you mind terribly if I waited with you until you hear news of your Elsie?"

"I wouldn't mind at all, in fact, I welcome your company."

"Let's head back to the waiting room then." John chivalrously held up his arm for Anna to balance on as they walked back up the stairs.

"Thank you Mr. Bates."

John smiled and quietly led the way back to the waiting room. When they reached the small area, there were two other people asleep – a man lying across a long leather couch and a young girl curled up on a chair. The only remaining place to sit was a second leather couch against the wall. John helped Anna to one end and he slid over to the other end as he watched Anna quickly remove her high-heeled shoes. He whispered to her, "Those are one of the great mysteries to men."

Anna seemed confused as she looked toward him, "What's a mystery?"

"Why women feel the need to dress in uncomfortable shoes."

"Well, twenty-four hours ago it seemed like a good idea. I don't usually wear heels. In fact, I spend most days in very comfortable shoes and clothing. So…its nice to get dressed up on occasion."

"Well, if you don't mind me saying, I do think you look very lovely, even without shoes."

Anna wasn't sure if John was flirting with her, but whatever it was, she liked it. "I'm quite certain any chance of loveliness faded from my appearance hours and hours ago…" Anna giggled softly in amusement.

John glinted his eyes at her and folded his arms, "There isn't an once of truth to that…" He spoke louder than they had been and both he and Anna noticed the little girl stir at their sounds. When they looked back at each other, John lifted his finger to his lips to indicate they should probably sit together quietly. Anna nodded her head in agreement before yawning, then whispered to John. "I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes."

An hour later Anna was startled awake by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She realized she had fallen asleep and was leaning against John's shoulder. He too had been asleep on the couch with her. She quickly realized they were now alone in the waiting room as she answered her phone loudly. "This is Dr. Smith."

John, still in a daze of sleep rubbed his face with his hands, then stood for a moment to stretch his back while Anna continued to talk on her phone.

"I understand…do you anticipate a vacuum-assisted closure?...Yes, I would recommend that, especially if there is a risk of infection…Alright, thank you for the update…Call me when she is in recovery please."

Anna ended her call and John sat down again beside her. She looked at him slightly embarrassed. "It would seem I fell asleep on you…I'm so sorry." She laughed when he gave her a big grin.

'That's what I'm here for…Anna, was that call about Elsie?"

"It was, she's very lucky. Her appendix ruptured, so they had quite the internal mess to deal with. She will have to remain in the hospital for while, there's too much risk of infection with something like that."

"I see…and…Anna? Why didn't you mention that you were a doctor?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Perhaps…I just wanted to blend in for the evening."

"But I made that rude comment earlier about doctors and…"

Anna interrupted him quickly, "No. Please don't feel badly about that. I completely agreed with you, remember?"

"Well, I'd still like to apologize. It was a broad statement about all doctors and I'm sure you're a very caring person."

Anna tilted her head toward John and smiled. "Well…I'd like to think so…if only people would give me a chance to show it."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh…I don't know, usually once someone finds out that I'm a doctor, they usually lose interest in getting to know the real me."

Just then they were interrupted by Anna's cell phone ringing again. "I'm sorry, excuse me again." She answered the call, "This is Dr. Smith."

This time John smiled as she said it. He stared at her with growing admiration. Not only was she beautiful and kind, but also she was a caring and a highly intelligent doctor. How was this woman not married he wondered to himself.

Anna ended the call abruptly. "I'm sorry John, there seems to be a complication in surgery and I would like to be there to consult with the surgical team."

"Of course…please go." He stood with her and she was comfortable enough with him now to simply lean on his arm again to assist her balance while she threw on her shoes quickly. But before she left, she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you John Bates."

"You're very welcome…Dr. Smith." There it was. Anna frowned for a moment. John would no longer think of her as just Anna. "I haven't lost interest by the way…" He spoke quickly as she put on her other shoe. She stood on both feet and paused for a moment looking at him quizzically. "I'd like to get to know the real you Anna…that is…if you'd like to get to know me."

Anna smiled as she rushed away, "I'll find you…and I'll check in on your mother!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author Note:**_ **Thank you for the kind reviews and encouraging follows. I will do my best to update weekly. Have a great week!**

The following Christmas morning John sat asleep in his mother's room. She too was soundly sleeping after her morning breathing treatment. The door to her room slowly opened as Dr. Anna Smith peered in quietly. She pulled back as soon as she realized they were both resting, but paused a moment to stare at John and smiled. He was still dressed in the same clothes as last evening and she was going on her second day wearing an evening gown. Anna decided to quietly leave and catch a cab to Elsie's house so she could shower and change clothes. As she backed away, John awoke to catch a glimpse of her leaving.

While Anna walked away from Mrs. Bates' hospital room, John came rushing down the hall after her and gently touched her shoulder so she would stop. She turned to find his sleepy face smiling at her slightly. "Hello." He spoke softly.

"John, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't." He lied. "Fancy some tea or coffee?" He asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Actually, I was just about to catch a cab back to Elsie's cottage for a quick shower and change of clothes."

"I could drive you." John responded quickly, "Unless of course…you'd rather spend some time alone."

Anna was flattered, and the truth was, she _would_ enjoy his company again. "It looks like you could use a change of clothes yourself John." She motioned at the bloodstains on his shirt. "I read through your mother's file at the nurses' station. I'm sorry to learn her lung cancer is so far advanced."

"Thank you. I wish there was more that could be done, but… we can only try to keep her comfortable. She has these coughing spells more frequently now…and the blood is always frightening."

"I see that she has stopped her chemo treatments."

"Yes. They were no longer helping. She wanted to try and enjoy her remaining days without the sickness from those treatments."

"I completely understand. I hope they are making her comfortable here."

"They seem to be. And she is finally resting…now, about that ride. What if we run across the street for some coffee and then I drive you to Elsie's? I actually have a change of clothes in my car, and if you don't consider it incredibly rude...perhaps I could grab a shower there as well?"

Anna pondered his offer again, "Of course, of course... If you're sure you don't mind…"

"I don't mind at all. In fact, I could use some fresh air myself."

"Alright then. Coffee first, drive to Elsie's and then showers and fresh clothes all around."

John smiled as Anna began walking away, captivated by her obvious leadership directive.

The crisp morning air danced heavily upon their faces as John and Anna hurried across the street together. He reached the door to the café first and as he went to open it found it locked. They paused in disappointment, looking at one another confused.

John's eyebrows lifted in surprise when he realized why they were closed.

"December the twenty-fifth…I can't believe I forgot."

"It's Christmas Day Mr. Bates. No coffee…and no white Christmas either." Anna touched John's arm in consolation.

"Well, let's hope your friend Elsie has some tea or coffee in her cupboards...as for the snow, we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed."

As John drove Anna she found herself white knuckle gripping the door. John had a flare for high speed and tight corners. "Do you always drive this fast Mr. Bates?"

"No…I usually drive faster."

"Really?!" She tightened her seatbelt when he upshifted the car into 5th gear.

"I'm sorry. I can slow it down a bit... I just forget most women don't have confidence in the performance abilities of Jaguar."

"The turn is right up ahead…you should slow down quite a bit more…as in, slow down right now!" Anna couldn't contain her anxiety any further, her hands were visibly trembling and John finally realized how unnerved Anna really was riding in the car with him.

John pressed in the clutch and the break and the car came to a very smooth stop. "Forgive me. Truly. I'm not trying to impress you or anything. I just…lost my head for a moment."

"Its quite alright John. Its just…my parents died in a car crash and…"

"God, what an arse I am. I do recall you sharing that with me last night, I wasn't thinking. I'm very sorry."

Anna caught her breath and then gave John a small smile. "Perhaps…we could stay at the speed limit? We're almost there."

"Of course," John started the car moving again, now keeping it just below the speed limit. "What kind of doctor are you Anna?"

"I'm a surgeon."

"Where do you practice?"

"I work at a hospital in Oxford…and you? Do you live in London?"

"No…well, at the moment, yes. I moved to mother's last year so I could be nearer her treatment center. I however have a home up north in Downton."

"Downton is lovely."

"I like the seclusion. The countryside inspires me and I tend to be more creative without distractions from the city."

"Here it is. Just up ahead, the last house on the left."

John slowed and turned into the drive, "This is nice, is this where you grew up?"

"It is lovely. But no, Elsie and I lived near Downton actually – in Ripon. Elsie moved here a few years ago when she married."

John put the car in park and got out quickly so he could help Anna out of the car.

Once inside Elsie's house Anna quickly went about making tea and toast. John leaned against the kitchen counter watching her. "Please John, sit and make yourself comfortable."

"I'm afraid if I do, I will fall asleep."

She turned and looked back at him with kind eyes, "Yes…I'm rather exhausted myself. Do you need to get back to the hospital right away?"

"No. Mum should sleep most of the day, they gave her a sedative to help her rest…what did you have in mind?"

"Perhaps a nap?"

"Anna, I would love a nap…but doesn't it make you feel uncomfortable having a strange man sleep here alone with you?"

"Mr. Bates…you're hardly a strange man. I know all I need to know about you -I Googled you. You're a very well known artist. " She handed him a piece of toast with blackberry jam.

"Thank you, but I assure you, that's not all there is to know…there's quite a bit more, that I would hope you'd find interesting," he bit into the toast before asking, "You Googled me?"

Anna blushed slightly, "I did."

"And…what did you think?" He was teasing, yet honestly wanted to know her impression of him now.

"I thought I would discover you were a music professor."

John chuckled. "Disappointed?"

Anna bit into a piece of her own toast and teased, "Not yet."

John raised a freshly brewed cup of tea to her and smiled, "Well in that case, here's to never disappointing you, and happy Christmas Dr. Smith."

Anna reached for her own tea cup, as she raised hers to him she smiled, "Happy Christmas to you…Mr. John Bates, artist extraordinaire."

"Now, how about that shower and nap Anna?"

Anna secretly enjoyed that John was so comfortable around her and felt free to call her by her given name. "There are four wonderful guest bedrooms upstairs, but only one full bath…you can take the room to the right of the stairs and I'm in the one to the left."

"You of course will shower first."

"No Mr. Bates, you're the guest, you should go first."

"But you're the lady, and I insist _you_ go first…plus, I couldn't live with myself if there wasn't any hot water remaining for you." He gave her a quick wink then started to clean up the kitchen. "Now go on, off with you."

"Are you shooing me out of the kitchen?"

"I am."

"Well…I'm not used to being bossed around."

"No…I suspect you aren't. Now go." He continued playfully bossing her.

Anna wasn't sure why, but she kind of enjoyed John telling her what to do. "I'll try to save you some hot water then." She left him alone in the kitchen and ran up the stairs to her room, unable to wait another moment to get out of that evening gown. Once wrapped in a robe she hurried into the bath and started the shower. Despite all the stress of the past two days, Anna's thoughts kept wandering back to John. She was impressed to view his art sculptures online and even read through some articles detailing how he had been contracted for unique pieces by other countries. Plus, she couldn't seem to get his eyes out of her mind either…. nor that charming smile of his. She smirked to herself and threw her face back into the water to clear her thoughts.

While Anna showered John finished cleaning up their dishes in the kitchen and then wandered into the sitting room where he discovered a host of photos on the fireplace mantle and a nearby bookshelf. He was delighted to take in so many photos of Anna. There were several of her as a little girl, then at university and medical school. She appeared to be alone in many of her photos, or with girl friends, but there never seemed to be any photos of her with a man – which for some reason pleased John immensely. He continued to explore the large house and entered another room behind the stairs to unearth a piano nestled in the corner of the den. John sat and started playing a little tune he had composed. Soon Anna had finished her shower and changed into some comfortable clothes. As she towel dried her long blonde hair, she leaned up against the doorframe to the den, mesmerized by John's playing. When he paused, she spoke up, "you're really quite good you know."

John turned around on the bench and smiled at her, "thank you…ready for that nap?"

"Very ready. I left fresh towels for you on your bed, and there are tubes of shower gel and shampoo there as well. Do you think you'll need anything else?"

"That's very kind of you Anna. Thank you. I think I'll head up for my shower now and see you later once we've both had a chance at some rest."

"Sleep well Mr. Bates." She said turning round and heading back up the stairs. John smiled to himself and noticed how beautiful she was in her natural state. He very much enjoyed the fact that she was so confident with herself not to fuss over her appearance. Here he was, a perfect stranger and she wasn't over reacting about their circumstances the way most women he spent time with would. John found Anna very refreshing.

Soon after she heard John turn on the shower water, Anna fell fast asleep. For a brief moment she imagined him standing there, water cascading down strong muscular arms, his bare broad shoulders, his long legs. She drifted off to sleep with a small smile on her lips, only to have a racy dream about him.

They slept most of the day away. When Anna awoke, she reached for her mobile to make sure she hadn't missed any calls from the hospital, and was relieved to notice she hadn't. However she did miss several text messages from Charles Carson. Quickly reading through them, Anna sat up quickly to call him. He had just received her voicemail regarding Elsie and was stuck in Rome trying to get a flight back to London. Her call went directly to voicemail, "Charles, its Anna. I'm sorry I missed your text messages; I was sleeping. The good news is Elsie is doing much better today, and we'll know more in the coming days. Call me when you get this message. Love you!"

When Anna ended the call she heard John shuffling around in the hallway, "Anna?"

She was startled for a moment, "Yes?"

He spoke to her from the other side of the door. "I heard you talking so I knew you were awake. I warmed us a ham and cheese bread downstairs when you're ready. I hope you don't mind – I was hungry, so I thought you would be as well."

Anna smiled to herself. "That is so thoughtful, thank you! I will be down in a moment." She rushed out of bed, despite still being tired and quickly brushed her hair and tied it up in a braid. Once she was freshened up she swiftly took the stairs and entered the kitchen to find John wearing dark jeans and a black polo shirt. He turned to her and smiled as he set two cups of hot coffee on the table with a pan of warm bread.

"My, you're quite domestic," she teased.

John gave her a prideful smile. "Mother insisted I learn my way around the kitchen."

"Do you cook as well?"

"Of course I do. Don't you?"

Anna bit her bottom lip and remained silently staring at him shaking her head.

"Well…I won't hold that against you. I'm sure you can carve a human much better than I can carve a ham."

Anna laughed, she found John to be rather amusing in addition to charming. As they finished eating her mobile rang and she excused herself to answer it. She looked concerned upon returning.

"Anna? Is everything alright?"

"Um…nothing's wrong actually. Just bad timing."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Just then Charles Carson came rushing through the back door with his luggage in tow. "Anna! Are you here?"

Anna turned her head toward the deep booming voice and Charles stopped to look over at John. "Oh, hello." Charles spoke in a questioning voice.

"Charles!" Anna rushed to hug and welcome him home. "This is my friend John Bates. John, this is Elsie's husband Charles Carson."

"Pleased to meet you," Charles gave John a firm handshake. "And you, Mr. Carson."

"Now…Anna, I called the hospital and they said you weren't there so I hope that means everything is still going well for Elsie."

"It is. I called an hour ago and she was still resting. They have her on a very high dose of pain killers so she will probably sleep for the next couple of days."

"Tell me the truth…she nearly died didn't she?"

"Let's not worry about that now, she's going to pull through this."

"But I should have been here for her. Thank God you were."

"Charles, you can't blame yourself. She is going to recover, and you will be here now to take very good care of her – just like you always do." She hugged him again as tears formed in his eyes. "I don't know what I'd ever do without her Anna…"

"I know. Neither do I." Anna whispered.

As Charles composed himself he pulled away from Anna, "John, Anna, can I offer the two of you something to eat?"

"Actually we've made ourselves quite at home while you were away, can we offer you a ham and cheese bread?"

"Anna…I should probably get back to the hospital. Now that Charles is back, you should spend some time with him."

"No, please don't leave on my account Mr. Bates." Charles protested.

"Honestly, I have to return to my mother's bedside. It was nice to meet you, I hope everything goes well for your wife."

"Thank you, and all the best to you and your mother."

Anna's face dropped, she was disappointed that John was leaving, but understood his need to return to the hospital. "Let me walk you out John."

Near the front door John grabbed his coat and old clothes then turned to look at Anna. "Will you be alright?"

"I think so. Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"Likewise…Anna…call it fate or perhaps a Christmas miracle, but I'm really glad I met you last night."

Anna was touched by his kind sentiment, and she smiled slightly, "Mr. Bates, you've been nothing but a blessing to me since we met. I'm very glad too."

"Can I ring you sometime?"

"I would like that." She gave him an even bigger smile.

"Can I…ring you later tonight?" He had a delicious twinkle in his eye.

"You're not tired of me yet?"

"Yet? …Never."

Anna was quiet for a moment and looked away embarrassed. "I'm beginning to think you're a charmer Mr. Bates."

"I have a thing for strong, intelligent doctors named Anna Smith…plus, I'd like to know why that phone call earlier upset you…or am I interfering?"

Anna was so caught off guard by John. He was unlike any man she had ever met before, and certainly nothing like any man she ever dated. His genuine kindness and sincerity made her feel like she could tell him anything.

As she opened the door for him Anna looked up into his fierce penetrating eyes and asked, "Can you call me after 9 tonight?"

John just stared back at her and she felt something stir in the pit of her stomach. "I thought you'd never ask," he said with a wink of his eye as he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Once again thank you for the very encouraging and insightful messages and reviews. You're all a wonderful lot to write for. At the moment I only have weekly access to the internet so please forgive my inability to respond to each review personally. I do very much appreciate each one!**

Anna returned to the kitchen. As Charles was unpacking his briefcase, he examined her thoughtfully. "I'm sorry Anna, did I interrupt something with you and Mr. Bates?"

Anna blushed slightly, "No, of course not…why would you think that?"

Charles took a moment to contemplate her response then looked back into his briefcase, "Because…Its been a very long time since I've seen your face as bright as it was when I walked in here today."

Anna feigned surprise and ignorance. "I don't know what on earth you mean."

"Really? Well then, imagine my surprise when I did walk in here today. A handsome and strange man alone with my Anna…"

"He is handsome, I'll allow you that comment."

"How do you know him?"

"We just met actually, at the hospital…and, I don't know, he's very easy to be around. I enjoy his company."

Charles was quiet, seeming satisfied with her honest answer finally. "Well, perhaps we'll see him again?"

Anna tried to contain her smile but couldn't stop the grin that developed out of the corner of her mouth, "Perhaps."

"I'm off to the hospital now Anna, would you like to come along?"

"I think you two should have some time alone. I'm sure Elsie will be very sleepy so you should be there for the moments when she's awake. I have some things to take care of tonight for work anyway."

"But it's Christmas Anna."

"Yes, it is…but you know my work doesn't take holidays."

"All right dear, call if you need anything." Charles leaned in and gave Anna a quick kiss on top of her head before he left for the hospital.

Anna picked up her mobile and searched for the most recent call to return and continue her conversation from earlier.

Back at the hospital John entered his mothers' room to find her awake and talking to a nurse.

"There you are. I was just telling my nurse you were probably chatting up some girls in town."

John looked surprised to see her awake and leaned down to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Mum. You know very well that you're my number one girl. Happy Christmas."

"I'm sorry Johnny, I didn't mean to ruin your Christmas by being in here."

"Don't be silly, you haven't ruined anything. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better. Yes. Much better," She managed to say just before starting a coughing spell.

John looked to the nurse for confirmation that his mother was feeling better, but the nurse only shook her head sadly to indicate that she was not.

Hiding the worry from his face, he smiled at his mother when she finally stopped coughing. "Come here, sit with me before I drift off to sleep again," she encouraged John by patting the bed beside her.

John sat down and held her hand with one of his own. "Tell me something...anything," he encouraged sweetly.

"Its good to see you. You look rested, did you manage to go home last night for a good night's sleep?"

"No Mum. I stayed here with you. But I did manage a nice nap this afternoon and a hot shower."

"Did you check on the neighbors while you were home? You know how they tend to fuss over me and the house when I'm not there."

"Actually…I didn't go back to your house. I met a lovely doctor and…"

"See? I knew you were chatting up someone," John smiled at her gentle teasing. "Lovely is she? Tell me more…"

"Yes, she's quite lovely… perhaps you will meet her. She looked in on you this morning while you slept."

"Oh. Is she _my _doctor?"

"No. She's here with a friend, she works as a surgeon in Oxford."

"I see…." Mrs. Bates examined John's face quietly for a moment, having noticed a certain spark about him that she had never seen before. "Well…I do hope I get to meet this doctor friend of yours soon. What is her name?"

John smiled widely, "Anna."

* * *

><p>Anna was reading through some materials online when she noticed it was half past 9pm. She wondered for a brief moment if John would call her tonight after all. And then her mobile began to buzz next to her laptop.<p>

She didn't recognize the number, "This is Dr. Smith."

"Hello Dr. Smith…its John Bates." The sound of his voice made Anna smile instantly.

"Hello."

"How has the rest of your day been?"

"I wish I could say it was uneventful, but I had a lot going on."

"Oh? Is everything alright with Elsie?"

"Oh yes. She's stable now and Charles is with her tonight."

"So you're all alone? On Christmas?"

"No…I have _you_ on the phone with me silly."

John smiled. "Yes…and I have you."

"How was your mother today?"

"Much the same I'm afraid. But no worse."

"Are they managing to keep her comfortable?"

"Considering she never tells me the truth about how badly she is feeling, I'm not always sure."

"Does she at least tell the nurses and doctor how she is really feeling?"

"I believe so. The nurse was changing out her IV pain fluid when I returned today. So I know she's using it when she needs to."

"I can check in on her tomorrow morning if you'd like."

"Yes Anna, I would appreciate that. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Now…what can I do for you Dr. Smith? Would you like to talk about the phone call that seemed to upset you earlier today?"

"The truth is…I would.

"I'm all ears then."

"Well, I started working last year for a non-profit surgery relief team in Africa."

"Oh…and you've been asked to go somewhere?"

"Yes. How did you know?'

"You said earlier that it was bad timing. I suspect you're not ready to leave Elsie right now."

"You've very intuitive Mr. Bates."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure. We're trying to work out all of the details. But there is a clinic in Ethiopia requesting some major surgeries before the New Year."

"So…you just drop everything and go?"

"Surgery is usually like that. You can't always prepare and plan for it long-term. Right now I'm on leave for a few weeks so I could manage the trip. I'm just not sure what to do."

"Well...when do you have to decide?"

"In the morning. I get to sleep on it."

"What does your gut tell you to do?"

"My gut?"

"Yes. Don't you listen to your gut?"

"No….I can't say that I ever do. Emotions tend to get in the way of logic."

John wanted to quip a smart remark but then realized Anna was being quite serious. "Well…what does logic tell you to do then?"

"To continue gathering facts and decide by morning."

"Do you want to know what _my_ gut says?"

"...alright," she hesitated.

"You should go. People need your help, and if you can help them, then you should go."

Anna smiled again. "Hmmm….You make it sound so simple and idealistic."

"Well, whatever you decide, be sure and let me know. I would hate to miss seeing you again, but I know you have more important things to do than hang out with someone like me."

"Someone like you? Do you mean someone kindhearted and generous with his time?"

"No. I certainly would never describe myself like that."

"Well, I just did. So that makes it true."

"Does it now? Somehow, that doesn't seem very logical."

Anna try to stifle a yawn but couldn't.

"I should let you get some rest Anna, you have a lot to consider before morning."

"John?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for calling…I really enjoy talking with you."

"Me too Anna. Sleep well."

Morning rolled around quickly and Charles was standing outside Elsie's room when Anna arrived back at the hospital. He smiled as soon as he saw her coming with hot coffees.

"Good morning." She handed him one of the tall paper cups.

"It certainly is now. Thank you for stopping at the café on the way here. How did Mrs. Patmore seem this morning all by herself? Was it busy there?"

"Oh, you know Mrs. Patmore. She had everyone running around the café in a cheery mood."

"So…they don't even miss me when I'm gone?" he seemed sincerely upset.

Charles owned a coffee café called _The Gathering Place. _ He and Elsie spent every morning there together having breakfast and coffee with the locals.

"How is Elsie this morning?" Anna asked, trying to change the subject.

"Better. The doctor was just here with good news about her progress and now they are helping her shower."

"I should come back later then."

"Probably. I'm just going to enjoy my coffee in the lounge and read the morning paper while I wait."

"Alright. I'm going to go check in on Mrs. Bates then."

Anna knocked on the door to Mrs. Bates room and entered after a small voice said to come in. "Good morning dear," the sweet woman chimed from her bed.

"Good Morning Mrs. Bates. I'm Dr. Smith."

Mrs. Bates smiled. "Dr. _Anna _Smith?"

"Yes. Please do call me Anna." She said after looking around the room, hopeful John was there as well.

"It is very nice to meet you.

Anna smiled back at the frail woman, "How are you feeling today? Is there anything you need?"

"No. I'm just grateful for another day." She looked sick. Anna evaluated at once that her eyes were dark and her skin tone was not good at all. She also took notice that her bags were nearby and her room had been organized. "Are you leaving today?" Anna asked while reaching for a discharge binder on a nearby table.

"Yes. I'm being transferred."

"Oh…" was all Anna could say when she read the discharge instructions that indicated where Mrs. Bates was being transferred.

"Does John know?"

"No dear…do I have to tell him the whole truth?"

Anna took a moment to ponder what to say as she placed the binder back on the table. "Mrs. Bates, I can't tell you what to do, but don't you think John should know the whole truth?"

"It's a mother's job to protect her children Anna, even until the very end."

Tears began to form in Anna's eyes as she reflected on what John's mother had said. "I've only known John a few short days, but I know he loves you very much, and I can understand why he would." Anna reached for Mrs. Bates' hand and held it for a moment. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do…to make this process more comfortable for either of you."

"Thank you Anna. My son _said_ you were lovely, and he was right." She squeezed her hand back.

"Did he?…"

"John also said you might be leaving England for a awhile."

"Yes, I've decided to go. There is work in Ethiopia."

"Very important work indeed… Anna, how long do you expect to be gone?"

"Only a couple of weeks. It's a short trip."

"Will you return to London afterward?"

"Yes. I will fly back into London."

"Would it be possible for you to promise to look in on me when you return?"

"Yes! of course." Anna smiled the most compassionate smile, "I will look forward to visiting with you again Mrs. Bates."

Just then John entered the room, he was both surprised and happy to see Anna sitting with his mother. Mrs. Bates watched as Anna turned and met John's eyes. "Hello John." She smiled widely at him.

"Hello." John smiled back, then met his mother's eyes and noticed something unusual in them. She was prideful and content – the years of worry had diminished - replaced with a spark of hopefulness. He didn't understand what any of that meant.

Anna turned to leave, "I should let the two of you catch up this morning, I will see you again Mrs. Bates."

"I do hope so Anna. Thank you for visiting."

The two women smiled at one another knowingly and as Anna turned to leave, she placed her hand gently upon John's arm and squeezed it, offering him a sentiment of comfort. "Coffee later?"

"I'd love that."

"Call or text me when you're free."

* * *

><p>When Anna returned to Elsie's room she delighted to find her sitting up and eating a liquid breakfast. "There you are. Charles filled me in briefly on your new friend Mr. Bates."<p>

Anna laughed as she entered the room and sat. "We'll get to all that, but first tell me how you're feeling. Are they managing your pain well enough?"

"We've actually backed my pain medication off a bit. I'm feeling much better. Anna…thank you for staying with me. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here. "

"Oh Elsie, of course I stayed with you. You're going to be fine now." She reached for Elsie's plastic cup of applesauce and opened it. "Where is Charles?"

"Oh you know him. He couldn't stay away from the _Gathering Place_ one more day. He's afraid he'll miss something or the staff will have too much fun if Mrs. Patmore is there to run things by herself."

Elsie noticed that Anna's thoughts seemed to wander in that moment. "What is it Anna? You seem a thousand miles away."

Knowing she had been caught, Anna smiled guiltily and turned her gaze back to Elsie. "I'm leaving for Ethiopia tomorrow."

"How long?"

"Not long, just two weeks this time."

"Well, I should be home and on the mend when you return…and maybe we could have your friend John over for dinner."

Anna looked away, her face grew sullen.

"I do wish you'd tell me what's bothering you."

"I'm afraid that John's mum is being transferred to Hospice care today."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that."

"She's telling John this morning…I wish there was something more that could be done…" Her phone vibrated in that moment, with a text message.

"It's John. He wants to meet for coffee."

"You should go to him dear."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'm sure Anna. Now go, he will need someone to talk to, and I need to take a nap," She insisted.

"Thank you Elsie," she stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I will check in on you later."

"Alright dear."

Anna held her phone as she walked down the hall texting John and as she turned the corner, nearly ran into him. They both jumped back and smiled at one another, a kinetic energy between them, marred only by the recent sorrowful news that John's mother had very little time left.

"I was just answering your text message..."John was visibly upset, his eyes were red and he looked away from her.

"Charles owns a coffee house, I was going to suggest we go there but perhaps you'd prefer to go someplace more private to talk?"

John simply nodded his head, he ran a hand through his hair and wouldn't look at her. "Would you mind terribly if I took you with me to my mother's house? It isn't far."

"Of course John…do you mind if I drive though?"

John managed a small smile as he pulled the keys from his pocket and handed them to her.

Anna tried her best not to grind the transmission as she slipped in and out of gears. John didn't even seem to notice, he quietly stared out the side window while giving Anna directions on where to drive. When they reached her house, Anna smiled – it was just as she imagined it would be. A small and quaint stone house with flower boxes under each window and a red door with a large pine Christmas wreath.

As John walked sullen into the house, Anna followed quietly behind him, sensing his emotions were rising in his chest. As soon as he closed the door, John rested his body backward against it. "She told you this morning didn't she?"

Anna turned to look at him and nodded, "I'm sorry John."

"I thought we'd have more time…"

"Can I make you some tea?"

"Sure. Its back here." They walked into the sitting room, past a large fireplace and through a hall before reaching the kitchen. It was bright and filled with natural light. His mother collected blue teacups, which decorated every free space of her kitchen. Anna gently picked one up and examined it carefully.

"She started collecting those after my father died. She only likes the blue ones…"

Anna smiled and then looked toward John as he grew quiet. Returning the cup to its proper place, she went about making tea as John leaned against a counter watching her. She was beautiful and kind and John couldn't comprehend how she was still single.

"Anna? Do you mind if I ask you a very personal question?"

She continued looking through the cupboards, not giving his request much consideration while simply responding "Of course I don't mind."

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"No. I haven't dated in…quite some time." She wouldn't dare tell him it had been several years since her last date.

"How is it a lovely creature like you isn't married?"

Anna rolled her eyes in disagreement. "I'm not exactly the easiest person to get along with…you'll learn that in time."

"I hope so…I mean, that I'll have time, to learn about you."

She paused for a moment, and looked up into his sincere eyes. "You know, I could ask the same things about you…unless of course, you _are _seeing someone. Oh god, I didn't even ask…"

"I'm not." He quickly saved her the embarrassment. "I married once, but…it was a nightmare – to put it nicely. We finally divorced last year."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"I'm not. But she will want to visit mother…one more time. And mother is too kind to say no, especially now."

Anna wasn't sure what to say so she just listened. "Vera had…a difficult childhood, and Mum, being Mum, couldn't help but look in on her after I left. She drank too much and wasted her money on frivolous expenses and Mother fed her on occasion. I'm quite certain she was the only kind person in Vera's life."

"Your mother seems like a rare and wonderful soul."

John smiled thoughtfully, "She's brilliant indeed. I'm going to miss her…" And with those words John finally broke down. Hiding his face in his hands, he tried to choke back the flood of emotions but Anna moved toward him quickly, naturally, and reached for his arms which found their way around her as John wept in her hair. A few moments passed and the tea kettle began to whistle. As Anna pulled herself away from John he began to apologize, "I'm so sorry. I feel so foolish."

"John, please don't. This is why I'm here." She assured him and walked over to the stove top to remove the kettle. Pouring them each a cup of tea, she proceeded to make a tray as John composed himself and splashed cold water onto his face. Once she had the tray in her hands, Anna motioned with her head for John to follow her back into the sitting room where they both sat opposite each other in leather reading chairs.

"Anna…thank you for coming here today. Truly. I considered calling my friend Robert, but he's skiing Switzerland with his family and…I didn't want to ruin his trip. He's the kind of chap that would drop everything and fly back right away."

"He sounds like a very good friend."

"Are we friends Anna?"

Anna sipped her tea before responding,"Do you want to be friends John?"

"Very much so…but...what if one day I wanted to be more than just friends?"

Anna's face grew hot, she could feel her skin flush, "I'm leaving for Ethiopia…in the morning." She wasn't sure why she blurted that out in that exact moment, but this was why she usually failed at dating. She was awkward and lacked gracefulness at times like these.

John simply stared at her and smiled at her blundering words, "For how long?"

"A couple of weeks."

"So you'll return…" he was still smiling and encouraging her with his gentle, warm eyes.

"Yes…I will return."

"Well then, I will be waiting. And in the mean time, longing to see you again."

Anna sipped her tea, trying to swallow the rising heat of her body.


End file.
